Italy secured a spot in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals after a 9-1 win over Mexico on Tuesday night at Daikin Park. The victory gave Italy a perfect 4-0 record in Pool B and eliminated Mexico from the tournament, according to tournament organizers.
Meanwhile, Team USA’s hopes remained alive despite Italy’s victory, as Italy’s win on Tuesday night kept the Americans in contention for a quarterfinal spot. Team USA had already suffered an upset 8-6 loss to Italy on Monday, which complicated their path to the knockout stage, according to sources familiar with the tournament standings.
Vinnie Pasquantino, the Kansas City Royals player and Italy’s team captain, hit three solo home runs in the game, marking the first time in WBC history that a player hit three homers in a single game. Pasquantino’s first home run gave Italy an early lead, and he added two more in the sixth and eighth innings, fueling Italy’s offensive surge.
Other key contributors included Jon Berti, who hit a home run to extend Italy’s lead, and Jakob Marsee, who drove in two runs with a clutch two-out single in the fifth inning. Italy’s pitching also played a role, with starter Giovanni DiGiacomo allowing only one run over five innings, according to reports.
Mexico struggled offensively against veteran pitcher Aaron Nola of the Philadelphia Phillies, who allowed four hits and struck out five over five innings. Mexico’s best chance came in the seventh inning, when they loaded the bases with no outs but managed only one run before the inning ended. Mexico is now eliminated from the tournament and will return to spring training camps.
Team USA will face Canada, winners of Pool A, at 8 p.m. ET on March 13 at Daikin Park in the quarterfinals, sources confirmed. The matchup will determine whether the Americans advance further in the World Baseball Classic.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
